Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-30


were out, yesterday HERALD reporter
inspected the new block:
The Board OF Directors desire your pres.
ence at the California Bank, Monday, Oc-
tebcr 3lst, 1887, for an inspection OF the
banking premises. 1t will afford great pleas
ure to the officers and directors 10 exhibit to
you the counting house, vaults, safe, furni-
ture and fixtures, preparatory to commenc-
ing business un nrsL uay of November,
CALIFORNIA BANK.
Los ANGELES, CAL.
The California Bank begs 10 announce
that 1t will open for business Tuesday, No
vember LIST, 1887, at its new Banking Roems
corner of Fort and Second streets.
1t will transact strictly commercial bank
ing business: hsying correspondents in the
prin cipal cities OF the United States, and IA
cilities for mercantile exchange IN all parts
of the world. n,,...a ~ =,
NJ. L. WICKs, Vice-PresidcnE.
VI. G. WITMER, Manager, .
7. J, WELDON, Cashicr. 81
DIRECTORS. - &C.,
Juan BE rnard ]. C. Knys, ]. s7rankenfed
+. ". Jenes i, Ii, q. Newhaii, nj. l.. Wicks
il. C. Wilmer. a, ..-+
THE BUILDING.
The reporter found Mr.. Witmer, the
manager, on the premises, and that
gentleman kindly showed him over
the whole building. 1t rs 50x1lO feet
on foreground, and is four stories and
basement. 1t is useless to attempt
any description of the exterior of the
structure. The massive, undressed
granite buttresses which reach from
the bedrock to about foot above the
ground floor, the great wallis, perhaps
three feet thick, of pressed bricks, the
numerous windows--a great many Of
them the most elaborate st, le of bay
window, and all full of fine plate glass
in all the stories, the exquisite decora-
tions, in the best modern
styles, up to the top of the
highest towers which dispute the up
per air with the spire Of the church On
the other corner-sal these challenge
the admiration OF all passers and
draw forth the most enthusiastic ad-
miration. 1t is no uncommon thing
to hear some one say: ''That is by fag
the handsomest edsi,se in Los -Anye-
les" That grand building is known
to stand for the results OF the Los An.
geles Improvement Company's ven
tare.
= Inside the basement is q most ele-
CANT affair, with fine vault land g,l
the accessories OF independent prem
.iaes. The steam boiler is here,
by which the bank is to be
heated and the elevators worked.
Besides the large elevator which
rams from the basement to the
fourth story, there are two Sidewalk
lifts on each street. They are operated
by steam, and have an automatic ap-
pliance which stops them above and
below. And, by tie way, the siae-
walks are seventeen feet in width, and
this is to be feature of Fort street
below Second, SO all property-hoiders
have agreed to set their buildings
back in order to allow five feet eMtEa
room in the sidewalks. t
TIE VAULTS.
.I, q bank, OF course, the maig,
thing is the wants. Nothing eeulc
be, devised better than those in the
new bank. Immediately over the
vault noted in the basement there is
one IN the banking room proper, and
above this is still another. reached
by "a spiral iron stairway in the
co,mting-room. Those vaults are
separated one from the other 10y al
fooring OF the heaviest and best rail
road~Steel made. The rails are laid
close together, aaad would require a
weela ior man to get through them.
Fhe outside of the vaaH is fireproof,
ON the best plans and in
the most elaborate manner. Then
comes 6 Diebold burglar proof vault,
with Yale time-lock, and every pos
sible precaution to guard the treasures
within. There is a beautiful iron gate
for day use on this. Eutlest this should
be insecure. there is inside this vault
one OF Halls very best ,slfes. This
has falls time,lock, cutoff,
spindle, and every possible appli-
ance known to the day to keep
coin "where thieves can not
break through nor steal..'' These
vaults and safes are made OF the best
erome steel, ,rGaid in layers two inches
thick, and all made as fast together as
a iamaut. tits certainly safe to say,
that fire nor burglar will never get to
anything locked in these. The vaults
are furnished with metal cases for the
bank books, and these are supplied
with rollers so that the books slide in
and cut with the greatest ease. The
lower Vaults for the coin, and the
upper one Cor tho books. But little
coin will be Displayed on the desks An
the counting-room. Immediately by
the door to the vault is very pretty
glass-eneiosed compartment for the
bank telephone. This gives absolute
privacy in the use Of this means of
c )mmunication with persons doing
business with the bank.
The counting-room is very elabor-
ately finished and furnished. The
walls arc works OF art, and beautifully
are they all hand-painted in oils. The
gas fixtures are of iaquered brass, and
they are as bright as FURNISHED gold.
The designs are simply exquisite.
The wainscotting of all the banking
apartments is done in cedar, and the
effect is fine. The counters are of
solid mahogany. They are very
ample in every respect, and when one
considers how scarce and dear this
noblest Of woods has become, he must
realize that the cost Of this piece Of